Martha (Gjerde) Olson (1855-1937)

GJERDE, OLSON, ERICKSON HIGGINBOTHAM

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 5/22/2022 at 16:43:26

Obituary source: The Roland Record, Roland, Story County, Iowa, May 27, 1937
Transcribed by Dena Gray-Fisher

"Mrs. Martha Olson was born at Etne, Norway, May 21, 1855, and died at her home in Roland May 19, 1937, lacking just two days of being 82 years old at the time of her death.

She came to America in 1876 and resided at Morris, Ill., where she was married to J. H. Olson in 1882. In 1892 the family moved to Iowa, making their home at Alden in Hardin county. Three years later they moved to Forest City where Mr. Olson died on November 23, 1898. The following spring, in 1899, the family moved to Roland where Mrs. Olson has since resided.

Four children were born to this union of whom one died in infancy. Those surviving are Orville H. Olson, Mrs. Jacob Erickson, and Shell Olson, all of this place. She is also survived by six grandchildren, two brothers, Ed Gjerde of Huxley, and Henry Gjerde of Morris, Ill., and a sister, Mrs. Gertie Higginbotham of Chicago.

Mrs. Olson had been in ill health for several years and had been confined to her home where she lived with her elder son, Orville H. Olson. On the Saturday preceding her death she fell at her home and sustained a fractured bone in her hip. Pneumonia set in and she died on the following Wednesday.

The funeral was held Saturday at the home and at Bergen Lutheran church, Rev. M. O. Sumstad officiating. Music was furnished by the Bergen Ladies Aid chorus. The pall bearers were members of the local post of the American Legion, of which both the sons of the deceased are members, being the commander, C.E. Webb, and J.E. Quam, Arnold L. Sevde, H. M. Bakka, C. C. Helvig and Otto J. Hanson. Interment was made in the Roland cemetery.

Among those from a distance in attendance at the funeral were Mrs. John Olson of Morris, Ill., Mrs. Gertie Higginbotham of Chicago, Mr. and Mrs. Bert Perry of Omaha, Nebr., Mrs. John Peterson of Audubon, Mrs. Julia Hill and son and daughter of Fort Dodge, Mr. and Mrs. Bert Olson of Forest City, Mr. and Mrs. Ed Gjerde of Huxley, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Lee, Mrs. Sam Wilhau and Miss Pauline Wilhau, of Marshalltown, and Mr. and Mrs. Homer Duea and Mrs. Severin Langland of Ames."